Yoga will help you stretch and release tension

At the Y

Halloween is almost upon us. Kids are picking their costumes and waiting for the night when they get to go door to door for candy.

One common Halloween theme (other than candy) is fear. We like to frighten ourselves by participating in haunted houses, watching horror movies, or dressing up as vampires and monsters.

However, Halloween fear is different than everyday fear. Most of us struggle with fears every day that are caused by things other than witches and goblins. Fears such as failure, death, and personal insecurities follow us day in and day out. The way that we cope with these fears determine many of our decisions and how we react to people and situations. Fear causes stress which negatively affects our overall well-being and happiness.

It is extremely difficult to overcome our fears and takes a lot of mental awareness and self-contemplation. These are two things that a lot of us don’t take the time to do. It is important to find time for yourself and do things that reduce your stress.

Yoga is one way that people choose to deal with their stress. There are many types of yoga and it might take some time and exploration to find a class that you like best.

Here at the Cumberland YMCA we offer two types of yoga. Yoga & Meditation is held Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

This class will gently stretch and release the tension you carry from your body.

Yin Yoga is offered on Sunday evenings and is restorative and works on deep tissue and fascia. However you decide to relax your mind and body is ultimately up to you. But remember that it is important for you to try to find something to reduce your stress so you can overcome your fears with confidence and joy.

Stacey Coombs is a membership services representative at the YMCA Association of Cumberland. At the Y appears bi-weekly in The Amherst News.